SoRiku 2019
by Nikaya
Summary: Drabbles for SoRiku Week 2019! Day One: Confession Includes KH3 spoilers!


"Sora."

It was dark when he came back into the Mysterious Tower that night. The wind kicked up, rustling his hair and hood as he glanced up at me, clear bags under his eyes.

"Hey, Riku," he said dimly. He seemed to catch himself and made an exaggerated yawn. "Man, I'm beat! Heading to bed now, so… 'night!"

He tried to slip past me into the building as he ascended the stairs, but I caught his shoulder. "You know you don't have to hide anything from me, at least, right?"

He opened his mouth to retort but glanced down, defeated. "I know. Thanks Riku," he muttered.

I tilted my head but softened my gaze as I let go of his shoulder. "I'm probably the last person you want to talk to, but… I know you. I know what this means to you. And… I want you to know I'm here."

He looked up at me with narrowed but glistening eyes. He held my gaze a second too long. "I…." His mouth twisted at the corner for a moment. "I think I do… ya know, need to talk?"

I nodded before tilted my head at the stairs. He followed me up to my room and I closed the door behind him. He went over and sat on my bed like it was second nature and put his hands in his lap. "I _really_ messed up this time."

I breathed heavily out my nose before taking a long stride toward him and sitting less than a foot away. "_Everyone_ has their setbacks. Look who you're talking to."

He scoffed. "I think all of the sacrifices you've made in the past two years kinda makes up for," and he made air quotes then, "'almost hurting people'. It's pretty different from failing your exam that would _literally_ help you save the world and bring people back from the Darkness."

"I _did_ hurt people," I said more forcefully. "I hurt everyone I've ever cared about. I went so far as to run away from you when I thought you wouldn't accept me as Ansem."

"That's different. You were being possessed. This was all me. _I_ failed the Mastery exam."

"I was the one that was supposed to be chosen by the Keyblade. I failed that exam as soon as I'd begun. I've known how much Yen Sid probably doesn't trust me. I know that Mickey didn't tell you what happened to me because not only did I tell him not to, but he knew it could break you."

"Riku, you have to let that go. You're a Keyblade Master now! The world needs you! It doesn't need me," he said, hanging his head again.

I gripped his shoulder again, only hard enough to draw his attention back to me. "The world _does_ need you. You're the only one that can bring Ventus back. You're the one that saved Kairi from _me_. You've saved me countless times. You _will_ pass. You're going to do it, and you're going to be amazing."

Sora searched my eyes, waiting for me to say more, but when I'd caught myself, I promptly shut my mouth forming a thin line with my lips. When he'd realized I was done, he allowed a small smile. "Thank you… I…." He sighed. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here right now. You wouldn't have even become Ansem again if it weren't for me. I… I'll never forgive myself for that."

"But that's not your fault. I did it to get you to come back to us." I said, my hands open to him.

"I know it was your choice to do that, but I can never thank you enough. You don't…." Then it was his turn to drop the topic and look away.

"I don't…?"

"You don't know…." He stopped, took a breath, then continued, "how much I was afraid… I was _so_ afraid I'd lost you forever. And it was _my_ fault. And now… I don't have my powers anymore. I can't save anyone, protect anyone… protect you."

I raised my eyebrows. "You don't need to protect me anymore. I've done a lot of saving, myself you know?" I said teasingly.

"That's not what I meant." he mumbled.

"What did you mean?" I asked without thinking.

He turned and faced me, point-blank, locking me down with his eyes. "I'm tired of the chasing, the hiding, the running, the fear…. I want to keep you right here! I want you by my side! Always!"

My mouth popped open.

Sora reached down and touched his necklace, the crown I'd given him all those years ago. "You remember the promise we made? The _real_ one?"

I nodded.

"We'd always protect each other." We said in harmony.

Then, Sora grew bold; yet he was gentler than I'd ever seen him before.

He reached out - ever so slowly - placing his hand on my cheek. He scooted closer on the bed, holding my gaze.

"Is this… am I doing this right?"

I blinked. "Y-Yeah." I raised a hand to hold his over my own cheek.

He leaned closer, and I bent forward to meet him. He pressed his forehead to mine and I could feel his warm breath on my face mingled with the coolness of sweat from training on my head. We both closed our eyes.

"Please… don't make me chase you forever," he whispered.

He closed the gap between us.

And I never wanted to make another.


End file.
